Patent GB-191222538-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Air Ships.
Inventor: LEINWEBER HERMAN
IPC: B64C1/00
Filed: 1912-10-03
Granted: 1913-10-02
Abstract: 22,538. Leinweber, H. Oct. 3. Motor power plant.-The propellers 80 and motors 53 of an aerial machine are mounted so as to be adjustable about transverse shafts 52, Figs. 6 and 7. The propellers of each set are secured to shafts 69, 75 carried by a sleeve 58 and driven through the bevel-gear shown by the motor-shafts 55, 55<a>. The speeds of the shafts are equalized by pinions 56 on the shaft 52. The shafts 55, 55<a> are journaled in a disk 85 mounted to rotate in the side of the car 42 and provided with a gear-wheel 122 actuated by a worm 121. The worm is turned by a compressed-air motor 113 which rotates in one or the other direction depending on the direction of flow of air through the motor. The supply of air to the motor is controlled manually or automatically. In the automatic control, means is provided for reversing the connexions between the air supply and the motor when the direction of travel of the flying-machine is reversed. An air-motor is provided for each propeller set and is controlled by manually-actuated valve 123, Fig. 14, and an automatically-actuated valve 138. Fig. 11 shows the arrangement on the control-board of the valves for the air-motors of the six sets of propellers. The valves at the right and left hand sides of the board control the motors of the rear and front propellers, respectively, and the intermediate valves control the motors of the central propellers. Air from the compressed air reservoir passes along pipes 100 into conduits 101, 102, 103. The conduits 103 open into cavities 124, Fig. 14, in the valves 123. When the valve is raised by the link 134, the cavity 124 connects the air conduit 103 to the conduit 109 leading to the air-motor and the conduit 110 from the motor is opened to the atmosphere. When the valve is lowered, the compressed air passes in the reverse direction through the motor. The valves are each provided with an operating-device comprising a shaft 131 connected by a toggle link 134, Fig. 22, with the spindle 136 of the valve. By rotating the shaft 131, the valve is raised or lowered, and by moving the shaft longitudinally the valve is rotated in its socket. When the propellers are to be controlled automatically, the valve 123 is timed to bring the parallel shafts gearing with a loose pinion 57 on the ports 127, 128, Fig. 23, or the cross ports 129, 130 into alinement with the passages 107, 108, 109, 110, depending on the direction of travel of the machine. The valve 138 has a cavity 140 in communication with the compressed-air conduit 102, and when the valve is raised compressed air passes along the passages 107, 127 and 109 to the motor and exhausts to the atmosphere through the passages 110, 128, 108. Each valve 138 is under the control of a pendulum. The pendulums 146 controlling the end valves swing about transverse axes and maintain the longitudinal balance of the machine. The pendulums controlling the intermediate valves swing about longitudinal axes and maintain transverse equilibrium. Plates 251 are provided for locking the automatically actuated valves 138 in their central position when the valves 123 are being manually controlled. Instead of arranging the motors on the shafts 52 to be adjusted with the propellers the motors may be mounted on a stand 166, Fig. 33. The motor shafts 167 drive a pinion 169 gearing with pinions on the shafts 171 which correspond with the shafts 55, 55<a> previously described. The shafts 171 are journaled in a sprocket-wheel actuated by the compressed-air motors. In another arrangement the motors 173, Fig. 35, are mounted on the floor of the car, and drive sprocket-wheels rigid with a wheel 182 which meshes with pinions 183, 184, on the propeller shafts 185, 186. The propeller shafts are journaled in a sprocket-wheel 187 actuated by the compressed-air motor.